Simple as Breathing
by jackieeeebee
Summary: Juliet Bellows is a normal ten year old girl. Who happens to wake up one morning in the middle of the Hogwarts grounds with absolutely no memory of how she got there in the first place. Follow her through the most difficult time in Wizarding History as she fights for love, life, and remembering. Rated M for much, much later chapters. FredXOC, RonXHermione, & HarryXGinny mostly.
1. Where it all began

**So this is my first fanfic and I decided to try to jump right into making it a multi-chapter fic. I am not a writer by any means and so if I have grammatical errors please let me know through a PM. I am also not British so there probably will not be a lot of British slang I'm going to read through the books again as I write to keep to the plot as much as possible. As my story is slightly AU I will not be keeping with all the details of the series' plot though as of now I do not plan on changing any of the canon couples. Any constructive criticism or positive reviews are greatly appreciated and while I would ideally like to not see any flames if you so feel that they are necessary I can not stop you from posting them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter because if I did Hermione would have better taste in men, and it still wouldn't have been Harry.**

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**Simple as Breathing Chapter 1: When it all began**

Minerva McGonagall remembered the first time she ever met the Bellows. It was a freezing cold Sunday morning, the first morning of 1995. Their daughter, Juliet, not even a day old had been written down in the Hogwarts roster destined to begin classes once she turned eleven. For families in Minerva's world that would not come to a surprise. However, Juliet was a muggleborn witch, and with the downfall of Voldemort both the Ministry and Hogwarts decided it would be best to inform the parents of muggleborn witches or wizards of the life that lay ahead for their child as soon as possible. For many parents this became the day of their child's birth.

Minerva stood outside the maternity ward at Mount Vernon's Hospital trying to reason with the nurse to let her past to speak to Juliet's parents. After ten minutes with no avail she saw no other way in than to confund the nurse. Once inside she made her way to the Bellows room and knocked on the door. Paul Bellows answered the knock expecting it to be the nurse coming back to hover over his wife and daughter.

"What do you… oh you aren't the nurse" he had a confused look on his face as he tried to place a name to her face "who are you exactly?"

"My name is Minerva McGonagall and I need to speak with you and your wife, it's about Juliet." she cringed when she saw the look on his face turn to pure terror. "I can assure you that it's nothing bad and that she is in perfect health I spoke to the nurse on the way in, I'm not from the hospital."

"Oh then where would you be from? How did you get past the nurse?" his look did not waver from fear but it took on a much more protective stance as he questioned Minerva. That was when his wife Rosalina cut in.

"Paul obviously it's important just let her in, she doesn't seem to be armed or looking to cause any trouble" turning to Minerva as Paul let her by "you said this was about Juliet?"

"Yes I'm here to tell you that Juliet is special in a way that can not be imagined. Your daughter Juliet is a witch." Minerva scanned Paul and Rosalina's faces for signs of disbelief but all she saw was acceptance. Paul spoke up first.

"Our neighbors son is a wizard. They found out shortly after he was born as well, he's a few years older than Juliet and we watch him sometimes when his parents go out-of-town on business. They told us so that we could be on the lookout for early signs of his magic."

Minerva nodded. "Yes young witches and wizards often show signs of magic when they are upset or stressed, it is something you will need to watch for as Juliet grows up. I will keep in touch and either myself or another one of the Professors from Hogwarts, the wizarding school Juliet can eventually attend will visit each year on her birthday to see how she is doing and to educate you on what the wizarding world is like to make Juliet's transition easier."

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**Eleven Years Later**

Ginny Potter cursed her rotten luck that this was the year Professor Sybil Trelawney was set to make the rounds to the muggleborn families to check in on the children. She signed up in order to help calm the parents by talking about her personal experiences at Hogwarts and of raising small children in the wizarding world, what she didn't expect was that every few years she would be lumped with crazy Trelawney to make the usual rounds. Today was easy, the only house to go to today was the Bellows. Their daughter Juliet was eleven today and only another months before she started at Hogwarts so they were accustomed to the visits. She picked Sybil up from Hogsmeade and apparated to the safe point just outside of the Bellows town and walked to their house. Once inside Ginny was filled with a sense of dread, she just knew that something bad was about to happen, but never in her wildest dreams would she have expected what came next.

"Juliet is still asleep, we let her sleep in until noon on Saturdays she is a lot less cranky that way. Do you need me to go get her?" Her mother smiled at Ginny used to seeing her come every single year.

"No that's quite alright Sybil" Ginny gestured to Professor Trelawney who had a glazed over look on her face "and I just need to talk to you and Paul. Today's visit should be quite short as it is the last one"

"Oh, alright." Rosalina looked disappointed at Ginny's words "I was hoping you would stay for lunch because I know Juliet will be mad if I let you leave without giving her a chance to say hello."

Ginny's face brightened at the prospect "Rosalina I would love to stay for lunch. If you don't mind after our meeting I will drop Sybil back off at Hogwarts and come back to join you."

"Perfect, now that that's all settled why don't we have a seat in the living room. Paul is in there waiting for us." Rosalina smiled at Ginny "Professor Trelawney, Ginny if you will both follow me."

It was then that Professor Trelawney chose to speak and what came out of her mouth shocked everyone that could hear.

"The one with the power to make death into life is near

As the planets aligned and the year of the boar dawned

A child was born to save them all

Send her back to the years that of age one becomes

She must fight to remember and to balance the loss"

Ginny did not notice until he spoke that Paul had joined them in the entryway. "What in the bloody hell was that?"

Trelawney spoke normally once again. "What was what?"

Ginny swiftly took the memory to heart knowing that she needed to talk to McGonagall about what happened. "Paul, Rosalina what you two just heard was a prophecy, about what I can't be certain but it seems to be about your daughter, she was born in the Chinese year of the boar correct?"

Rosalina hesitated as she spoke "Yes but how do we know that she was talking about Juliet. It talked about sending her back, but back where?"

Ginny sighed "I don't know. I really don't know."

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**Later that day**

"Minerva I don't know what this means but it has to be Juliet. It happened while we were at her house today." Ginny was fuming with frustration as she tried to work out the prophecy's meaning with Minerva in her office.

"Ginny if I might put in a word I think I may be able to help." Professor Dumbledore smiled down from his painting on the wall.

Ginny sighed "Anything that can help Albus would be greatly appreciated."

"You seem so fixated on the where she is going back to. Have you ever thought that it might actually be a when?" He inquired of the younger witch.

"No! Albus that's a genius idea! That makes so much more sense now. She needs to go back 17 years because it references the number of years one must be to come of age!" Ginny starts rereading the prophecy but then stops. "But how are we supposed to get her back that far? And how are we supposed to make sure she needs to fight to remember?"

Snape drawls down towards Minerva and Ginny. "I think this is where I may be of assistance." and he draws out the plans to make sure that Juliet can be when and where she needs to be.

**Thanks so much for reading I know it's short but I'm getting used to writing fiction on the whole while writing this so the chapters will hopefully get much longer than this. I just felt like this was the best place to stop this chapter and you will see why when I update. Please review!**


	2. January 1st, 1988

**First off I want to apologize for how long this chapter has taken to write. I'm not used to writing things this long and work has been crazy the past few weeks so it's been a struggle finding time to sit down and write everything out. That being said thank you to Just Look in the Mirror for reviewing it made me feel a lot better about my writing. Thank you to everyone who followed my story. I hope you like this chapter.**

**For the chapters from Juliet's perspective I'm using a different narrative style. For chapter 1 since it did not feature my main character I used the third person perspective because it allowed for an easier method of laying out the main plot line. Depending on how the story progresses I may switch perspectives to make everything a little bit easier since I am still getting used to writing creatively. I'm sorry if this causes a little confusion but it's the easiest way for me to continue the story.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. If I did Draco would have had a spine.**

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**Simple as Breathing Chapter 2- January 1st, 1989**

Let's do a quick recap of my morning, shall we. I woke up. Well woke up is a bad phrasing. More like I was rudely awakened by a huge dog breathing and slobbering all over my face. I sat up and was treated to an even more bizarre sight. A large man, bigger than anyone I had ever seen in my life, was standing next to this almost equally large bloodhound and was staring at me as though I had two heads.

He asked me "Who are you? How did you get inside the gates? What are you doing at Hogwarts?"

Overwhelmed and tired I started crying. "I don't know how I got here, I don't know what I'm doing here, and I don't know who I am. I just woke up and I don't remember anything about who I am or where I'm from, I just want to go home."

The large man's face softened at my words. He spoke again, "well I'm Hagrid and this is Hogwarts." he gestured behind him and I'm sure my jaw dropped to the floor.

"Well Hagrid, I would say that it's the most magnificent castle that I have ever seen except I could be lying because I don't remember if I've ever even seen another castle. Though it is bloody brilliant." I joked to relieve the fact that I had no idea who or where I really was.

"Come on we'll go speak to Headmaster Dumbledore he'll know how to help ye." He started walking up to the castle and I had to jog to keep up. When we finally got to the massive front doors Hagrid pulled them open and my jaw dropped again because as incredible as the castle was on the outside the inside was even more fantastic.

"Um, Hagrid what exactly is Hogwarts?" I was trying to process in my empty brain what everything meant and I was drawing a total blank.

"Hogwarts is only the finest school for witchcraft and wizardry the world has ever known." He keeps leading me through hallways and past huge rooms each filled with something different until we get to a set of stairs guarded by a statue that looked a bit like an eagle.

"Lemon drop" Hagrid stated to the statue and it started turning to reveal an entrance to the stairs that we quickly walked up. "The stairs are protected by a password. Don't want just anybody walking into Dumbledore's office now do we?"

"No I suppose not." Still feeling incredibly overwhelmed I just wanted to crawl into a ball and cry until everything was better. That was until Dumbledore opened the door. I just had a feeling, a feeling that this man was supposed to be important to me. That I needed to help him in some way, and somehow that made everything that I had gone through that morning worth it somehow.

Flash forward to now. I'm in Hagrid's hut drinking an extra large cup of tea. I swear everything about this man is huge… I must appear tiny to him. Dumbledore, after we explained my morning, told us that he needed to discuss something with another one of the professors. He called her Professor McGoongle or something like that and he sent us over here.

"Hagrid?"

"Hmm?"

"What is it like in the wizarding world? I really don't know much of anything about it."

"Oh er, well… it depends on where ye are. Diagon Alley is always busy, people bustling about and the sort. But then the small villages like Godric's Hollow are quiet… just like any other place I suppose."

"Oh, I wish I could remember what everywhere else looked like… It's so frustrating not being able to remember." I kick the leg of the table in anger, only to realize that was not the smartest thing to do as my foot is now throbbing.

There is a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Hagrid bellowed at the mystery person behind the door.

Dumbledore and the female professor from earlier walk in and he turns to me "my dear do you know how old you are?"

My foot still throbbing I try to think "eleven… I think?"

The old man smiled "excellent, that makes everything much clearer now. Your first name is Juliet though I'm afraid our roster for your year did not record your last name, so we are still at square one trying to find out where you came from. We are asking parents with children around your age if they can take you in and look after you while we find out."

"For goodness sake Albus you would think that her parents wouldn't announce that she was missing the way that you are talking." the female professor looks at Dumbledore with an exasperated look on her face.

"Minerva I can assure you that in this case we can presume they may not know where she is… or based off of her clothing most definitely not matching current muggle attire, when she is." Dumbledore gives me a knowing look "well we must be off the response owls should be back anytime soon Juliet so we will be able to take you to your home. See you later Hagrid, come along Minerva."

And Hagrid and I are alone again.

"So Juliet is there anything else you'll be wanting to know?" Hagrid tries to break the tension in the room left by Dumbledore's last puzzling statement.

I gladly take the opportunity to ask my questions "tell me about Hogwarts I want to know what it's like, especially if I'm going to go there."

"Of course you'd be wanting to know about Hogwarts. Well there are four houses Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor's mascot is the lion and the witches and wizards in that house are known to be a brave bunch. Hufflepuff has the badger and they are supposed to be hardworking and loyal. Ravenclaw has the eagle, don't let the name fool ya, they are the witty and brainy bunch. And Slytherin, they're the nasty bunch, ambitious and cruel, they will do whatever needs to be done to get what they want. Not to say that every person from the houses follows exactly to the founding ideals. The personalities are more based upon the ideals of the house founders, each of them wanted something different to come out of Hogwarts." He smiles at me "anything else you'd like to know?"

Several hours later Hagrid and I are still talking about what the wizarding world has in store for me when there is another knock on the door.

"Come on in" we both yell at the same time causing me to laugh. It's astounding how close I've gotten to Hagrid in just one short day. I'll be sad to leave him though I made him promise to visit me before I go to Hogwarts in a year and a half.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, the woman from earlier, who I learned is the Gryffindor house head and transfiguration professor walk in with a woman and a girl a few years older than me who I assume is her daughter.

Dumbledore smiles at me "Juliet this is Andromeda Tonks and her daughter Nymphadora."

The girls hair turns bright red and I catch her mumbling under her breath "don't call me Nymphadora" she then quickly turns to me "wotcher Juliet I'm Dora but you can call me Tonks."

"Hi Tonks it's nice to meet you. Hi Andromeda." I turn to each of them in turn and greet them.

"Please Juliet, for the time being just call me mum, alright?" Andromeda smiles back.

"Okay, mum, I can do that." I laugh, I like the Tonks' already.

"Hey sis, how did you change your hair color like that. Sorry I should have asked but is that okay, calling you sis?" I look at Dora and blush slightly embarrassed that I just assumed she didn't mind me calling her my sister.

"Sis, it's totally fine, call me whatever you want, as long as it isn't Nymphadora. I'm a metamorphmagus, I can change my appearance at will." and with that she changed her nose into that of a pig." making me laugh even harder than I had been. "I'm fifteen so I'm in my fifth year this year. That means you'll be at school with me for my sixth and seventh years. I'm in Hufflepuff but I'm mostly friends with the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuffs are all a little wimpy for me."

"Nymphadora" Andromeda scolded her "don't say things like that about your housemates, they are very lovely people."

She rolled her eyes "yeah, fine okay mum."

"Just because you enjoy getting into trouble doesn't mean that your housemates don't enjoy a little adventure now and again. After all you do have a Quidditch team don't you?"

"I'm sorry, but what is Quidditch?" I look at Tonks hoping that explaining it to me would help her to calm down about the Hufflepuff argument.

"Oh it's fine, you weren't really interrupting. Quidditch is a sport that wizards play on brooms. It uses giant hoops and a variety of balls. The quaffle is the biggest and if one of your team's chasers throw it through a hoop you get ten points. The bludgers are a bit smaller and those the beaters hit at the other team's players. The smallest is the snitch which is worth one-hundred and fifty points and ends the game it can only be caught by the seeker."

"Oh wow! That sounds incredible. I can't wait to see the game played out properly. Does every house have a team?" I practically squeal with excitement. I can't wait to properly explore the wizarding world and everything that goes along with it.

Tonks laughs "Yes my dearest little sister every house has a team. So don't worry when you get sorted into Slytherin we can kick your team's butt up and down the Quidditch pitch."

"No! I will not be in Slytherin… well at least I hope not…" I look worriedly at the adults around the room hoping for some guidance.

"I was a Slytherin dear and I turned out just fine. There is no need to worry. The sorting hat will place you where you will flourish the best. Though I've heard that if you have a particular house in mind the hat does take that into account as well." Mum smiles at me and I feel much better.

Dumbledore steps in now "Well as much fun as today has been Juliet should probably be getting back home with you. I'm sure Ted is very excited to meet her. Tonks I shall see you back here when break is up in a few days. Juliet, farewell until next year, I am sure that when the time comes you will be all the more excited to be joining us here at Hogwarts."

"Thank you Professor, I already can't wait to go here." I turn to mum and Tonks, "so how are we getting home?"

"Good question Juliet." she turns to Dumbledore "Professor may we use your fireplace to floo? I don't think I should try and apparate the three of us together?"

"Ah yes of course Andromeda."

We all head back into the castle after saying goodbye to Hagrid and head over to Dumbledore's office. On the way there Tonks and I walk in the back of the group and I keep asking her questions about Hogwarts and what her family is like. It finally occurs to me that I have no idea what flooing is. "Hey Tonks, what is flooing?"

She laughs "Oh right, you've never used the floo network before. Well it's a way of traveling using the fireplace. You have to take a handful of powder called Floo powder and you throw it into the fireplace and say the name of the place that you want to go. You then get sucked into the Floo system and you step out at the fireplace grate that you want to get out at. Don't worry you can floo two at a time when the people are smaller so we can go together."

I smile at her appreciatively "Okay good. I have a feeling I would have screwed it up if I was by myself. Thanks sis."

"Anytime my most wonderful little sister." She smiles back at me.

I roll my eyes at her overly sweet sentiment "You are really milking this have a younger sibling thing aren't you."

"Of course I am. It's not everyday that an only child gets a sibling that can actually talk back right away." She smirks and then runs ahead to catch up with everyone else. I run after her and finally catch up right as we reach the statue downstairs from Dumbledore's office.

We all get up to the office and after saying goodbye to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall we floo home without a hitch.

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**Three days later**

Tonks and I are woken up by mum and dad knocking on our doors telling us to get up so that we can take Tonks back to the train station for school. I quickly throw on some clothes, brush my teeth, and my hair, and head downstairs just as mum is finished levitating down Tonks' trunk. We eat a quick breakfast and head over to the train station. The entrance to Platform 9 ¾ is like nothing I've ever seen before. We run straight through the pillar between Platform's 9 and 10 and all of a sudden we are in a totally different area. I hug Tonks tightly. "Promise you'll write me?"

"Everyday if you want my lovely little sister." She smiles at me.

"Not everyday once a week is just enough for me. We don't need to totally wear out Apollo and Artemis." Apollo is Tonks' owl that she got right before she started at Hogwarts he's a barn owl and Artemis is my snowy owl that I got in Diagon Alley the day after I wound up at the Tonks' house.

"Okay once a week I can manage. Just try not to have too much fun without me. Though I know that the Weasleys can't wait to hang out again." We both laugh, we hung out with the Weasleys yesterday and I immediately became best friends with the twins Fred and George who are going to be in my year at Hogwarts. Tonks has been teasing me since we got back because she thinks their younger brother Ron has a huge crush on me and I just tease back because I think her friend Charlie, their older brother, likes her.

"Girls the train is about to leave soon. Dora you need to go." Dad comes over to us.

"Goodbye sweetheart we will see you in a few months." Mum and dad both hug Tonks and send her off to get on the train. We stay at the station until the train is out of sight and then we head back to the house.

**So this chapter is just under double the length of the first one. I'm slowly getting better at the writing for length. I hope to have the next one up within the next week since I already have some of it written down already.**


	3. Of letters, snowmen, and friendship

**Hello everyone. Chapter 3 here. Thank you so much for continuing to read my story. This has been something that I've been toying with for a while and so it makes me feel good that people are actually reading something that I've read. Please review and follow, they don't necessarily drive me to write my story any faster but it makes me feel good to see that people are caring about what I write. My goal is to continue to make my chapters longer and longer until I'm writing about 6-7k words without my Author's Notes. It's getting much easier to write though I'm still looking for a Beta because I still don't think my grammar is the greatest.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. If I did then I wouldn't have killed off more than half of my favorite characters in a 100 page span.**

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**Chapter 3- Of letters, snowmen, and friendship**

**Tonks POV**

January 5, 1989

Dear Tonks,

It seems like just yesterday you got back on the train to finish out your 5th year at Hogwarts… well maybe that's just because it was yesterday… Anyways, the house was very quiet when I woke up this morning since you were at school and dad went in to work. It made me miss you and your laughter and noise so much that I just had to write to you. Mum and dad are both doing well, I mean not much can change in a day. Mum was just talking to Molly Weasley through the fireplace and so I think they are setting up another day for me to hang out with the twins, Ron, and Ginny again. How is it being back at school? Have you told your friends about me yet? I'm sure it's awkward trying to figure out how to explain me to people you've lived with for five years. Let me know what your friends think of you now miraculously gaining a younger sister. Say hi to Charlie for me, have fun, and eat a lot of dessert for me, goodness knows mum never lets me eat enough sweets at home. Please respond soon.

Love your most lovely and darling little sister,

Juliet Tonks

P.S. I love the way my name sounds together it just seems to flow.

P.P.S. Mum says to study hard for your OWLs and that you need to do well if you still want to be an auror

P.P.P.S. What exactly is an auror?

Tonks got her first letter after the break the fourth day back which surprised her. Her parents didn't usually write to her this early on after break unless it was important. Once she realized it was Artemis who delivered the letter it made much more sense. "Juliet must be bored out of her mind at home without me." Tonks mumbled under her breath with a chuckle. She still hadn't figured out how to tell her friends and housemates about what happened… I mean it's not everyday that your family adopts a suspected time traveling ten year old from the future over winter holiday. Though of course Nancy Holmes, the biggest blabbermouth in all of Hogwarts, happened to hear everything that Tonks said.

"Nymphadora who is Juliet?" Nancy practically screams in Tonks' ear.

"Well first off nosy Nancy, it's Tonks or Dora not Nymphadora, secondly if you must know Juliet is my new younger sister, my parents adopted her over the holiday, and lastly I'm sitting right next to you so yelling is not necessary." Tonks bit out every single word, frustrated with the fact that she wasn't able to tell everyone on her own terms, but pleased that she was able to come up with a plausible and technically true account of how Juliet came to be a Tonks.

Just as she finished Charlie walked by and noticing the vibrant red of Tonks' hair decided to swoop in and diffuse the situation."Hey Tonks. Ready to head down to class. I need help with the last question on the Transfiguration homework and I figured you would be the best person to ask."

Sensing her escape from the new tension she created at her table Tonks quickly stood up and grabbed her bags, and then promptly tripping and falling right into Professor Snape.

"Watch where you are going , you never know what might happen if you trip and fall into the wrong person. Ten points from Hufflepuff for ' poor coordination." Snape snarled at her and turned to Charlie "you there Weasley help Ms. Tonks up from the floor." He stalked off out of the Great Hall and into the direction of the dungeons.

Charlie bent down to help Tonks up "well that was close I was surprised you only got ten points off, Snape's been in a nasty mood since we got back, Gryffindor had potions with him yesterday and I heard he made Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor keeper cry… and Wood doesn't cry… well except when we lose a Quidditch match." They both chuckle at the thought of Wood crying after a loss, quickly forgetting all about the run-in with Professor Snape.

"I'll race you to Transfiguration!" Charlie quickly stands up and starts out the Great Hall.

"Not fair Charlie you have longer legs! And you won't trip over your own feet while you run!" Charlie stops just before the grand staircase and waits. "I know Tonks but it's funny to see you try to run." He laughs as she finally catches up to him.

"It's not funny, I'm not athletic and you know it. Goodness knows how I'll manage being an auror with how klutzy I am. They'll probably put me behind a desk." Tonks' grimaced at the thought of being behind a desk all day but then Charlie broke her focus.

"Come on worrywart lets get to Transfiguration so that we aren't late." With that Charlie started walking and Tonks followed quickly behind.

Later that night in the Hufflepuff common room Tonks began her letter to back to Juliet.

January 7, 1989

My dearest little sister Juliet,

I'll never get tired of calling you that. Ever. I've missed you too today you little nugget. So I just got your letter this morning at breakfast. I didn't tell anyone until today because I couldn't come up with how to describe you to people. After I read your letter I muttered something about how bored you must be and the absolute nosiest girl in all of Hogwarts, Nancy Holmes, heard me and then announced to the world that I had something that I hadn't mentioned to the house yet. Thankfully Charlie saved me from all the questions by coming over to ask me for help in Transfiguration. When I got back to my common room later today though everyone was bombarding me with questions, especially because nosy Nancy had been spreading ten different stories about you. The best one was that your parents were both eaten by giants when you were a baby and they raised you as their own until Dumbledore found you and brought you back into civilization and we took you in. The stories that girl comes up with… she should write books. Anyways, Charlie says hello as does Percy and Bill, they wished they could have met you over the break but they had to stay here and work on school work and Head Boy duties, Bill is Head Boy and Percy just likes to suck up. I'm glad mum is making plans for you to hang out with the younger Weasley's again. It will be good for you to have interaction with kids your own age. That way you don't become old and boring like mum, shh don't tell her I said that. Oh and speaking of mum please do tell her that I'm hard at work with my OWL revisions. Between Charlie and I we have all of the subjects at least close to mastered so we help each other on our weak spots. Charlie told me that after we left the Burrow Ginny could not stop talking about you. she apparently freaked out when she saw you at the train station but was way too nervous to go up and say hello to you. I think she is just really glad to have another girl coming over to hang out at her house. It must be tough being the only young girl in a family full of brothers. Send my love to mum and dad and I'll be back before you know it. It's only a little over five more months until I'm home for the summer. Then we can make all kinds of noise in the house so you won't be bored out of your wits. I anxiously await your reply.

All my undying affection,

Tonks

P.S. I love these overly emotional openings and closings. It makes the letters feel like I'm in a romance novel rather than writing to my little sister.

P.P.S. I'm sending letters for mum and dad with Apollo so that way you can use him to send your reply and keep Artemis at home to talk to the Weasleys. I'm sure Ginny would love to get a letter from you and Ickle Ronniekins would just about die of happiness I'm sure if you mentioned him in it.

P.P.P.S An auror is a Ministry of Magic worker whose job is to catch dark wizards and those others in the wizarding community who wish to do it harm. If you want more of an explanation I can write more in my next letter as I'm now out of parchment.

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**Juliet's POV**

"Juliet! Your response from Tonks is here!" Andromeda yelled up the stairs. I quickly bolted out of my room and down the stairs to grab the letter from mum.

"Thanks mum. How much time do we have before we head over to the Burrow?" I ask as I head into the kitchen for breakfast.

"We need to leave in thirty minutes so eat and read quickly. You'll have to wait until you get home to respond." She looks over at me as I'm stuffing food in my face like a rabid animal. "Juliet, eat like a human being please, you aren't a rabid dog. You'll get a stomachache eating that fast." She scolds me and I slow down on the food shoveling anxious to head over to the Burrow to hang out with my new friends. I laugh at the story Juliet told me that was going around about my heritage. The funny thing is… it's probably more believable than what Dumbledore seems to think happened to me.

"Okay mum I'm done with breakfast can we head over now?" I jump up from the table and walk over to where my mother is standing. "Please?" I give her my best smile in the hope that the 30 minutes was just a ploy to get me to eat quickly so that we could head over as soon as I was ready.

"Oh I suppose we could head over now since you finished getting ready so quickly." Mum winks at me and I know that what I was thinking was exactly her plan.

I have to floo by myself this time and I'm very nervous. Though I focus on saying everything the same way that Tonks did when we flooed the first time to the Burrow.

I grab a handful of floo powder and step into the fireplace. I say as clearly as I can "The Burrow" and I'm off. As soon as I see the familiar grate for the Burrow I step out of the fireplace… and right into Fred Weasley.

Ron just so happened to walk in the room at that exact moment "oh for Merlin's sake could you two not be all over each other."

Fred and I both blush as we realize exactly how close we were to each other and we quickly separate. Fred then takes the opportunity to mess with Ron "Oh, does ickle Ronniekins not want to share our new friend Juliet? Does someone have a little crush?"

It's Ron's turn to blush as George and Ginny walk in the room followed shortly by my mum flooing in from home.

"Juliet!" Ginny screams and launches herself at me wrapping me in a tight hug. "I missed you so much. The boys have been driving me crazy."

"Hey! We have not!" I swear Fred and George have the uncanny ability to say the same things at the exact same time. They both turn to glare at Ginny and I laugh causing them to both glare at me as well.

"What have you not done?" Molly chose then to walk in the room causing the boys and Ginny to immediately cease any argument that they were about to start.

"Nothing mum. Ginny just doesn't like our jokes." and again with the whole saying things at the same time.

I look at Ginny who is standing right next to me now having finished her hug "I swear you would think that they are the same person the way those two speak."

Fred hears what I say and walks over to me "who dear Juliet? Georgie and me? We basically are the same person. You can't have one without the other we'll probably even die at the same time we are so alike." It got so silent after Fred said that we could have heard a needle drop in the next room over.

Ron chose then to speak up "well, now that Fred and George have gone and killed the mood, how about we go grab the brooms and play a pick-up game of Quidditch?"

"Um I would be all for that except I've never flown a broom before in my life." I freeze as everyone in the room, except mum and Molly, turn to stare at me as though I had a second head.

"You've never flown a broom before?" Fred turns and asks me as though he didn't hear me right.

"Yup I've never flown a broom before. Though I would love to watch you guys play . Tonks made it sound so fascinating when she explained it to me." I half expect half hope that everyone will just let it slide because I don't feel like making a fool out of myself today.

Though I had no such luck because Fred just smiles at me with huge grin. "Well then we are going to teach you how to fly a broom."

"Okay, but how? I don't own a broomstick." I hope that this excuse is good enough to make him change his mind.

"We have plenty of brooms. Don't worry you can borrow Ron's. Right Ron?" Fred turns to his brother and gives him his usual cheeky grin.

"Uh yeah sure I guess Juliet can borrow my broom today." Ron's face says the exact opposite of what his mouth does though and I smile. At least I get to irritate Ron while learning, maybe that way he won't act like a lovesick puppy around me.

"Okay perfect then. Let's go teach you how to fly a broom." Fred runs out of the room and I quickly follow equal parts anxious and nervous to learn how to fly. I just really don't want to screw up, especially since Tonks told me about the first time she tried to fly a broom. It apparently went about as awful as it could have gone for her and so it was not giving me much hope.

We get outside and Fred leads me to a shed which holds the family's broomsticks. Fred hands me what looks like it might be one of the newer brooms in the shed and he takes out another that looks to be older. He has me walk over to an open expanse of lawn that put a warming charm on so there is no snow on the ground and put the broom on the floor.

"Now put your hand out in the air over the broomstick and say up." Fred instructs me giving me a good 15 foot radius, I'm assuming so that he won't get hit if the broom acts up.

I take a deep breath and say "up" and the broom moves but doesn't go into my hand. So I try it again "up" this time with more force and much to my surprise the broom leaps right into my hand.

Fred is laughing when I look up from the broom. Thinking I did something wrong I look over at him nervously "did I do something wrong?" I ask him but I worry more about his answer.

"No you did fantastic. I was just laughing at a memory. The first time Percy tried to pick up a broom he was so frustrated with the broom that he eventually yelled up at it and the broom smacked him in the face. Needless to say Percy never ever tried flying again."

Feeling a lot better about my first experience flying. I tell Fred I'm ready to move on. He then shows me how to mount my broom and kick off. I manage it on my first try and by the end of the hour I'm zooming around playing catch with Fred using a quaffle. I see out of the corner of my eye George, Ginny, mum, and Molly come outside to check my progress since Fred and I hadn't come back in with any broken bones or disappointed faces at my failed attempt at flying. I see Ginny and George run to the shed and soon the four of us are playing a small pick up game with just the quaffle. After about another hour mum and Molly call the four of us inside for lunch. As we are walking in I turn to Fred and give him a huge hug.

"What was that for?" He turns to me and asks but then hugs me back.

"It's a thank you. For teaching me how to fly. I was so worried because Tonks told me these horrible stories about the times she tried to fly a broom so I'm just really happy I got the hang of it." I smile at Fred and we both sit down for lunch.

Ron comes stomping in shortly after. I look at him and he instantly looks away with an angry look on his face. "Ron, how come you didn't come outside to fly with us? I would have taken turns with you on the broom. You didn't have to lock yourself away."

"Oh bugger off. I know you wouldn't have." Ron mutters under his breath. Though of course Molly, who hears everything, turned to Ronald and smacked him with the dish towel she had in her hand. "Watch your language Ronald. Juliet was only trying to be nice. There was no need to be rude."

"Sorry mum, sorry Juliet." Ron looks at me and I can tell he was still upset about earlier so I come up with an idea that all of us can enjoy.

"I forgive you Ron. Now after lunch do you want to build a snowman?" Ron brightens up at this idea and he readily agrees as do the other Weasley children so after lunch mum and Molly both cast warming charms on all of us and we run outside to go play in the snow. Ginny and I build a snow witch complete with broomstick and the boys build a snow wizard holding a beaters bat. Ginny tells me as we are building how Fred and George both want to be beaters on the Gryffindor team their second year and that I should try out for chaser since I was really good at handling the quaffle earlier. With our snowmen all built none of us were quite ready to go back inside so Fred motions me over and whispers in my ear "we should start a snowball fight." I nod letting him know that I'm in so I reach down and grab some snow, mold it into a packed ball, and throw it right at the back of George's head. He jerks around and looks at Fred and I and we both laugh and point at each other neither of us wanting to be on the receiving end of George's wrath. Then, out of nowhere another snowball hits George in the back and Fred and I look to see Ginny running from George who is chasing her with a snowball. I yell out "snowball fight!" and we all break loose throwing snowballs at each other. Fred and I gang up on everyone else and we stand back to back helping the other dodge the snowballs all while having a good angle to throw them at everyone else. Molly finally comes outside and yells at us to come inside and with great reluctance we trudge back to the house all laughing with each other. Even Ron was enjoying himself, his earlier tantrum all forgotten. With the few hours before dinner Ron teaches me how to play Wizard's Chess, Fred and George show me how to play Gobstones, and all four of the Weasleys teach me how to play Exploding Snap. Arthur comes home from work and all four of the kids run over and give him hugs on the way into the dining room for dinner. He turns to me as I walk past him "hello Juliet, I don't believe we've met. I'm Arthur Weasley."

"Hello Mr. Weasley. It's nice to finally meet you. Everyone has told me so much about you." I smile at him thinking of all the stories the twins told me of his mishaps with the muggle technology that he keeps in his shed outside.

"Please call me Arthur. Mr. Weasley was my father." He smiles back at me and we make our way to the table. Fred and George saved me a seat in between them so I sit and we finally start dinner.

After dinner mum and I head back to my house, but not before twins and Ginny make me promise to write them the second I got bored. That way mum and Molly could schedule another day for us to play together. I fall asleep that night incredibly happy with the way the day went and very excited to tell Tonks about my first attempt at riding a broomstick. That night however, I had the most peculiar dream.

* * *

I'm sitting in a house I don't recognize next to a woman who looks like a much older version of me. I look around the room and see a woman who looks like an older version of Ginny Weasley so initially I just assume that I'm looking at what could be us in the future. There is a calendar on the wall for January 2002.

I keep thinking that until the woman next to me speaks. "Ginny, I hope you don't mind but I brought Juliet in to our meeting today so that she can hear the information about the wizarding world right from you."

Ginny opens her mouth and I freeze "Of course Rosalina. Juliet is old enough now to hear about the wizarding world. Today our meeting is about wizarding London. Right through an entrance in the back of the pub the Leaky Cauldron in London is Diagon Alley. In order to get there you need a witch or wizard with a wand so for the first trip before Juliet's first year I will be accompanying you."

The woman, Rosalina, looks relieved when Ginny says she will be going with them the first time. "Thank heavens you'll be going with us I would be a nervous wreck trying to navigate the wizarding world with Juliet and Paul. What all is located in Diagon Alley?"

Ginny speaks again "There are a variety of stores from Ollivander's, where Juliet will get her first wand, to Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding bookstore. My favorite one however is a store my brothers Fred and George started back in 1996. My brothers Ron and George run it now."

All of a sudden the body I'm inhabiting in my dream decides to speak up. "Well what happened to Fred?"

Ginny closes her eyes and braces herself for her response. "Rosalina, did you tell Juliet about the battle at Hogwarts back in 1998?" The woman sitting next to me nods and I feel a knot growing in my stomach as if I know what's coming next. "Juliet, my brother Fred died in that battle saving the wizarding world from a very evil man."

I wake up at that moment screaming and mum runs in. "Juliet, what's wrong? what's happened?"

Through my tears I tell my mum "I had a dream. About the future. My future… well technically my past. Your future."

Mum looks at me and then stands up "I'm getting Dumbledore. He will need to hear this." She gets me out of bed and we go downstairs and she floo calls Professor Dumbledore. He decides this is something that needs to be said in person and so he comes through the fireplace and sits down on the couch next to me.

"Andromeda can you leave Juliet and I while we discuss her dream. The future is not something that should be known ahead of time." Dumbledore looks at mum and she nods leaving us along in the family room.

I describe my dream to Dumbledore and by the end of it I'm crying so hard that I can't even speak. I force out the last thing Ginny said and then I break down even more; flat out sobbing on Dumbledore's shoulder. Finally, Dumbledore speaks, "this battle is supposed to take place in 1998 is that correct?" I nod and he continues "well that leaves us ten years to fix what needs fixing before anything from that dream can come to pass, do not worry Juliet. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. This was just a dream. Everything will turn out okay in the end."

I hug Dumbledore and mumble into his shoulder "I sure hope so Professor."

We call mum back into the room and Dumbledore hands her a box of vials. "These contain Dreamless Sleep Potion Poppy and I think it best that Juliet has one of these each night before she goes to be so that she doesn't have any more like this one again."

Mum nods and walks Dumbledore to the fireplace "We'll let you know if anything else happens. Thank you Dumbledore." and with that he leaves to go back to Hogwarts. I take my potion and head up to bed undisturbed by dreams from my unremembered past.

**Well that's it. My third chapter. Thank you all for reading and please review. I got this one up thanks to the wonders of coffee and slow work days, so this is by no means going to be typical. Once I go back to school in a little under a month I'll most likely be putting up chapters on Fridays or the weekends since I don't have class those days. I'm slowly getting to my goal of 6-7k per chapter this one is about 4.5k which is again almost double the previous chapter. Hopefully I can keep that trend up so that I can reach my goal and begin to average out my chapter lengths in the next chapter.  
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	4. Planning with a Lion and a Snake

**Here is Chapter 4. I've been a little disheartened by the lack of reviews I still only have one, but no matter I will continue to write as I have promised that reviews don't change how much of my story I will give to you. Thank you to everyone who has followed or favorited my story. It means just as much to me as a review because I know that you are interested enough to keep with me. I know that this one isn't the 6000 to 7000 I was shooting for this time but I felt like this was a good place to stop the chapter. Hopefully I will be able to keep that amount per chapter going as I still have another close to 10.5 years before I even get to the Battle of Hogwarts.**

**As always. I do not own Harry Potter because if I did the epilogue would have needed to be whole 8th book of new information for me to be satisfied…**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Planning with a Lion and a Snake**

_Previously in Chapter 1_

"_The one with the power to make death into life is near_

_As the planets aligned and the year of the boar dawned_

_A child was born to save them all_

_Send her back to the years that of age one becomes_

_She must fight to remember and to balance the loss"_

"_...a prophecy, about what I can't be certain but it seems to be about your daughter..."_

_Snape drawls down towards Minerva and Ginny. "I think this is where I may be of assistance._"

* * *

**January 1, 2006**

Ginny looks up at her old professor's portrait and says, "unless you happen to know where to find an extended length time turner I don't know how we can carry this out successfully."

Snape narrows his eyes at Ginny "well Ginevra, it is not a time turner that we need rather, it is a potion."

"A potion?" McGonagall looks at Severus. "What kind of potion could ever send someone back seventeen years?"

"It is referred to only as Pondera, it was developed in the late 1940s so as to safeguard the wizarding and muggle populations alike from the coming of another dictator like Adolf Hitler. Pondera means equilibrium or balance in Latin and the potion can only be used for instances where the balance of humanity's karma has been thrown out of alignment. The potion is intended to send one person back to a specific date to then properly align the life to death ratio on both sides of the war. The only dilemma is that it must be a specific person and a specific start time and so a prophecy was always required. As far as I know this is the first time it will ever be used, the Soviets wanted to send someone back after the Stalin purges but they could not find a prophecy fit to send someone back with." Snape looks over at Professor Dumbledore's portrait. "You've been awfully quiet over there Albus, any thoughts?"

"No Severus, Pondera is exactly what I would have suggested. Though that still leaves the second half of the prophecy because I know that Pondera does not alter memories of the individual being sent back and Juliet needs to forget." Dumbledore thought for a few moments "though I can remedy that issue. Minerva on the bookshelf there is a notebook its on the third shelf down navy blue with stars on the spine. Open it up to the fifteenth page and there is your answer."

Ginny looks down at the page in question. "Aliquam Obstructio? What spell is that I've never heard of it before?"

McGonagall began to read "Aliquam Obstructio, Latin for mental obstruction, acts as a cure for PTSD. The intent of the caster can either choose whether to permanently hide the memories in question or to place up a mental block with which certain events or emotions can release memories to allow for mental healing. Written by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore November 23, 1975." Minerva looks up at Dumbledore's portrait. "This is a spell of your own creation isn't it Albus?"

"Yes Minerva it is. Three pages prior is also the recipe for Pondera. It takes about six months to brew which gives you six months to work out a plan to get Juliet away from her parents long enough to send her back and send someone with polyjuice to the Bellows in her place that way you are not charged with kidnapping a child." Dumbledore winks at Minerva and Ginny. "You two have some planning left to do. Go on."

* * *

**Later that day**

"It looks like the last ingredient in Pondera is a piece of parchment with the intended date of arrival written in Juliet's blood. It allows for safe travel to a specific time and the location is based on where the potion is consumed. For example if Juliet drinks the potion in the Great Hall she will wind up in the Great Hall in the past." Ginny looks over at McGonagall who is writing a letter. "Professor can't the letter wait we need to figure this out first." McGonagall finishes writing the letter and signs it with a flourish. "This is necessary." She hands it to Ginny to read "and we shouldn't have her sent anywhere indoors just because we don't know how she will land. I was thinking the grounds near Hagrid's home might not be a bad place to have her land."

January 1, 2006

Dear Rosalina and Paul,

Please let me apologize for the behaviors of Ginevra Potter and Sybil Trelawney earlier today.

As you know Sybil Trelawney is the Hogwarts Professor of Divination a subject regarding prophecy and the telling of the future. Sybil, beyond her abilities in the classroom is also what we refer to as a Seer, or someone who has the gift of Prophecy. What you witnessed in your home today was one of her very infrequent prophecies, the last one made in 1994, the night that Lord Voldemort rose back into being. Ginevra so quickly presumed due to the location Sybil stated that this prophecy today was about Juliet, forgetting that locations in Sybil's prophecies are by no means precise. We have since learned more about the person in question the prophecy was meant for and I can assure you that it is not Juliet. That being said I will keep a much closer eye on who I send out into the homes of future students so that an event like this does not occur again.

Regards,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ginny reads the letter "okay… but how do we know that Rosalina and Paul will just forgive what happened?"

Professor McGonagall looks at Ginny "did they seem particularly mad? Did they throw you and Sybil out the door?"  
"Well… no, but they did seem shocked and upset. I don't see how a letter will fix that."

"No it probably won't. But, time and a solid apology will allow for them to recover from the shock of potentially thinking that their ten year old daughter is the main player in a prophecy that will take her away from them."

"Good point, but how will we know when the time is right? How will we get them to allow Juliet to go with us alone?"

"We fabricate a school event for the rising first year muggle-borns. I believe the muggles call them open houses. It's a way for the students to meet each other and meet the teachers. We simply need to explain it to them in a way that highlights the anti-muggle spells in order for them to believe they simply can't be here on the school grounds." Professor McGonagall looks at Ginny. "Satisfied now Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny laughs "Well I suppose I can get behind that plan Minerva. Now we just need to make it work. I can go take the letter up to the owlery to get the ball rolling and then I will meet you in the dungeons to get to work on Pondera."

Fifteen minutes later the two women get to work on the potion that will change the balance of the wizarding world forever.

Ginny reads over Professor Dumbledore's notes on the potion and begins to list off ingredients to McGonagall. "We need: 6 measures of butterscotch, 3 stalks of freshly chopped peppermint, 4 bundles of knotgrass, 4 measures of honey water, 5 whole daisy flowers picked at noon, pickled dandelion root, 3 sticks of cinnamon ground to a fine powder, and a piece of parchment with the date written in Juliet's blood… one of these things is not like the others..." Ginny laughs at her own little joke for a few moments and then looks at McGonagall. "These are all really accessible ingredients and the potion, other than it needing to sit and be stirred 3 times counterclockwise every 12 hours this potion is pretty self explanatory."

"Well then what are you waiting for? I don't think Horace has all of these on hand but they will have them available in the Hogsmeade apothecary." McGonagall hands Ginny a few galleons, "this should be enough to cover everything we will need for both Pondera and the Polyjuice potion we should pick up everything all at once. Make sure you get fluxweed that was picked under a full moon."

* * *

**5 months later- May 1, 2006**

Ginny looks back down at the cauldron and carefully stirs only three times counterclockwise in order to not ruin the potion "five months in and you would hope the brewing process would get slightly more interesting… the potion hasn't changed at all since day one."

McGonagall looks over at Ginny "just be glad you haven't been stuck stewing lacewing flies for the past three days Ginevra."

"Yes Minerva but I get to drink the absolutely lovely potion you are brewing in a little under a month. Speaking of which have you written the Bellows' letter yet?"

"Yes Ginny it is sitting on Horace's desk along with their response to my first letter. I want you to read over both of them before I send mine out and let me know if it sounds like something Rosalina and Paul would be okay with letting their daughter attend."

Ginny picks up the letter from the Bellows and reads it.

January 7, 2006

Dear Professor McGonagall,

Thank you for your letter of apology. Paul and I were quite shaken up by the events that transpired in our home earlier this week. We had no idea that some witches and wizards had the "gift", as you put it, of prophecy. Shouldn't that be covered in the visits with the parents of your soon-to-be muggle-born students? You said that it was involved in a class called Divination. Is that a required course for our children to be telling the future like some conniving gypsy in the local traveling show? Though looking back I suppose Ginevra's response was as least rooted in some form of logic as there were a few small sections of the prophecy that could have related to Juliet or honestly to any other female born on the same day as her in any given Chinese year of the Boar. I am glad that you were able to properly determine who the prophecy was regarding as I'm sure things such as that take such high precedence in your running of Hogwarts. As I am sure you know Paul and I have been homeschooling Juliet since she was young and she has been very lonely this year. We didn't want to send her to a regular muggle school as we didn't want her to have a magical accident at school, it would have been much to difficult for us to cover up in our small town the neighbors would just never understand. The only child she's known while growing up other than her cousins that she sees very rarely is the other muggle-born in our town. He is a 2 and a half years older than Juliet and so he is halfway through his first year right now. I'm sure that Juliet will feel right at home within the walls of Hogwarts surrounded by people just like her. I'm sure you and your esteemed faculty will take wonderful care of our daughter while she attends Hogwarts.

Regards,

Rosalina and Paul Bellows

"Yikes, you know I never noticed this but Rosalina is actually very close minded to the wizarding world… 'people just like her'... 'magical accident'... 'the neighbors would just never understand'... she sounds just like the Dursleys. I'm sure that if they had really been able to think about it or just found out when Juliet turned 11 I don't think they ever would have let us into their home or let Juliet go to Hogwarts." Ginny looks down at the other letter in her hand and hopes that it at least quells some of the problems that Rosalina has or else they were doomed.

May 1, 2006

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bellows,

I have not yet received a response to my owl sent back on the 15th of January to your concerns regarding what happened on the first of this year. I presume the letter must not have reached you, the owl I sent was old and never made it back to the school so I fear the worst for it. Here is a brief summary of what I sent to you. Divination as a course at Hogwarts is optional. It is one of five electives open to the students to select at the end of their second year after receiving their exam scores from the 7 core classes that they take. They are required to select up to a minimum of two electives though most students take at least three in their third year and will occasionally drop one either later that year or in later years if the course load becomes heavier than the student can handle. The five electives students can take are: Study of Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Divination, Muggle Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures. Each subject is different and can be selected based upon the wishes of the student alone, neither a teacher nor a parent can select electives for the student. For your leisure I have also sent the electives course guide updated for the upcoming year if you have any other concerns.

On another note the upcoming Open House for Hogwarts muggle-born students is next month. This is a good way for the muggle-born students that are a year out of starting school to get to know one another. As Juliet is set to begin at Hogwarts in September of this year this is her year to attend the open house. The open house is a day long orientation beginning at 7:30 AM and ending at 7:30 PM, all meals will be provided that day by the Hogwarts kitchen staff. It is a way to help those unfamiliar with most of the wizarding world to familiarize themselves with the school and its grounds. We will have two question and answer sessions, one with all of the teachers and another with a select group of students, to allow Juliet and the ten other muggle-born students in her year to ask any and all questions they may have regarding the school and classes. As I mentioned this orientation will include Juliet and ten other young witches and wizards from around the British Isles set to start at Hogwarts in the 2006-2007 school year. As you may have been able to guess by my wording thus far this orientation is only for the students. Unfortunately the school's founders and further laws made by the Ministry of Magic did not deem it appropriate for muggles to be able to wander onto the grounds of Hogwarts as there are many bans on revealing to muggles the nature of the wizarding world. For this reason I am afraid that only those who have wizarding powers will be able to attend. As headmistress I can assure you that I will be picking up, escorting around, and dropping off each and every student at his or her residence personally. The open house is on June 1st so please respond back with an owl as to whether or not Juliet will be in attendance.

Regards,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ginny starts laughing at the letter in her hand. "Minerva you really gave them everything that they gave you and then some… those are some really good laced words."

Minerva looks up from the cauldron. "How about you read the course sheet too I wrote it up specifically for the Bellows just so to put their minds at ease with what their daughter could be choosing to learn without any mind to what they would prefer her to be taking."

Ginny looks down at the separate sheet of parchment with the letter and starts to read the descriptions.

**Hogwarts Electives Course Description 2006-2007 school year**

**Third Year through Seventh Year Electives:**

**Divination:**

Professors teaching: Sybil Trelawney and Firenze

Required Textbooks: _The Dream Oracle_ and _Unfogging the Future_

Course Description: Divination teaches methods of divining the future, or gathering insights into future events, through various rituals and tools. The magic taught in this class, as well as the ability to say prophetic things is a branch of magic referred to as "divination."

**Care of Magical Creatures:**

Professors teaching: Rubeus Hagrid

Required Textbooks: _The Monster Book of Monsters _and _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

Course Description: Care of Magical Creatures is the study of Magizoology. This course focuses on a wide range of magical creatures, from flobberworms to fire crabs, and even unicorns and thestrals. Students are taught about feeding, maintaining, breeding, and proper treatment of these various creatures.

**Arithmancy:**

Professors teaching: Septima Vector

Required Textbooks: _Numerology and Grammatica_

Course Description: Arithmancy is the study of numerology and predicting the future using numbers. The course focuses on writing essays that require the consultation and/or composition of complex number charts.

**Study of Ancient Runes:**

Professors teaching: Bathsheda Babbling

Required Textbooks: _Ancient Runes Made Easy, Rune Dictionary, Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms, Spellman's Syllabary, _and_ Advanced Rune Translation_

Course Description: Ancient Runes is the study of runic scriptures. It is also referred to as Runology. This course focuses mainly on the theoretical portion of the topic studying the ancient runic scripts of magic.

**Muggle Studies:**

Professors teaching: Ernie Macmillan

Required Textbooks: _The Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_

Course Description: Muggle Studies is the non-magical studies portion of the curriculum. This course focuses on how Muggles life from the Wizarding perspective looking into how their daily lives and how they utilize things such as the Internet and electricity. This course is heavily suggested for those students who have grown up separate from the Muggle world as many aspects of life after Hogwarts may involve interactions with Muggles.

**Sixth and Seventh Year Electives:**

**Apparition lessons**:

Professors teaching: Official from the Ministry of Magic Office of Apparition

Course Description: Apparition is an optional twelve-week course offered at for learning how to Apparate. Apparition allows witches and wizards to willingly move ones body from one place to another by means of magic and great concentration of the place to which they are traveling. This course begins just after Christmas Break and only students who will be 17 by the start of the course or turn 17 by the end of that school year will be able to take the class.

Ginny looks up from the parchment. "Now I'm confused. You lace your letter with bitterness and anger and then you write the descriptions from the most non-biased point of view. Why?"

"Ginny, the course descriptions needed to be like that because it needs to appear like these get sent to all of the students. If I wrote it like I was lacing it with a Queen Bitch attitude then the Bellows would know that the descriptions were a farce."

"Oh, yeah, good point Minerva." Ginny blushes embarrassed. "I'll go send it off now since it all looks to be in order."

The end of following week the response from the Bellows made its way to Hogwarts. Ginny read it out loud to Minerva who was working on some finishing touches for the polyjuice potion and preparing everything that they will need to send Juliet back and disguise Ginny as Juliet.

May 9, 2006

Dear Minerva,

Juliet will be in attendance at the Open House on June 1. Thank you for the course description it was very helpful in explaining to Juliet the kind of classes she will be taking.

Rosalina Bellows

"Well to me that sounds like Rosalina told Juliet what electives she is supposed to pick out two years from now… What a controlling woman. If I ever tried doing that to my kids when they got older not only would they probably not speak to me but neither would Harry." Ginny sighs thinking about how miserable Juliet must be.

"Ginny the sad thing is most kids don't realize their parents are doing anything wrong like that unless someone points it out to them. It just appears like normal parent behavior." Minerva sighs knowing that had she ever had children she never would have been like that to them she knew all too well what a childhood like that can be like.

"Well, now that we are more than ready to remove Juliet from her home of controlling parents we should finish everything up and finish up the plan to deal with everything once she gets here."

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**Important FYI:**

**Just so everyone is aware my characters are not me. I do not harbor the same feelings as them, specifically as is the case with this chapter and the things that Juliet's mom states. I harbor no ill will against those of gypsy descent or any other descent for that matter. I only care what a person is like on the moral and personality level and I wanted to make that clear before the story progresses. I felt that Juliet's parents, or at least her mother, needed to be dislikable mainly because I don't want Ginny or Minerva to necessarily regret removing Juliet from their care.**

**Author's Note:**

**There you go, chapter 4 in all of its finished glory. I plan on occasionally shifting back into the "present day" of the story line every so often so that you can see how Juliet's eventual disappearance will affect her parents and their relationship with the Hogwarts faculty. Just to clarify I am using the Hogwarts staff positions as they remained at the end of Harry's 7th year. The one exception is Muggle Studies as the last known Professor of that class is either dead or in Azkaban. With that said since Ginny is graduated and working with the Professors I will be mostly referring to them by their first names when in the present. Minerva is Professor McGonagall, Horace is Professor Slughorn, Albus is Professor Dumbledore, Severus is Professor Snape, and Sybil is Professor Trelawney (just to clear up any potential confusion). **

**Random fun fact: Professor Trelawney's name is an offshoot of the name of an ancient collection of prophecies that stems from Roman Mythology called the Sibylline Books. Her grandmother's name is also a nod to ancient mythology, her grandmother's name was Cassandra, and in Greek mythology Cassandra was a Seer who was cursed by Apollo for scorning his affections. Her curse was that none of her prophecies would be believed.**


	5. And I'm almost there

**Here is Chapter 5 for all of you faithful readers. I finally hit my goal of 6-7 k words and then actually surpassed it all in one chapter. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and as always please review. I know I say it isn't necessary for me to keep writing but I do enjoy getting feedback. Also, I realized while writing this chapter that I accidentally gave myself way too much time at home before Juliet started at Hogwarts so I went back and fixed the dates. I did the corrections at around 12:30 AM so I may have missed some. If I did and anyone notices can you please let me know through a PM?**

**I do not own Harry Potter because if I did there would have needed to be 14 movies because I wouldn't have wanted to cut anything out.**

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Chapter 5- And I'm almost there

August 29, 1989

I wake up to Tonks' excited banging on my bedroom door. I roll over and look at the clock on my nightstand and it says 7:30 AM. I groan and roll back over because it is way too early to be awake. I lay back on my bed listening to the sounds going on in the house around me. I know it's a Sunday because I can hear dad humming Amazing Grace down the hall, as he gets ready in mum and dads bathroom. We aren't very religious, we never go to church, but for some reason dad always hums it on Sunday mornings. I think it's just a habit he picked up when he was younger because I know that based off of his stories from his childhood his parents would have been at church every Sunday taking dad right along with them. Then I sit up and look over at my calendar on the wall and the circled date jumps right out at me. I realize why everyone in my house is up so early and I quickly scramble out of bed. It's August 29th! The day that we head into London to pick up the rest of my school supplies because all I have for school right now is Artemis. She's busy hooting up a storm in her cage obviously upset at being woken up so abruptly. I would agree with her but I'm much too busy buzzing with excitement to spend the last few days I have of my summer vacation in Wizarding London. Mum rented the four of us rooms at the Leaky Cauldron that way we would be closer to King's Cross Station to get on the train. I made plans with Fred and George a few weeks ago to meet up in Diagon Alley when they come to get their school supplies because the three of us want to get our wands at the same time.

I walk over to my closet and throw on a pair of jean shorts and my new Holyhead Harpies t-shirt. Before the rest of the kids got back from Hogwarts dad and Arthur took Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and I to a Holyhead Harpies game against the Chudley Cannons and I absolutely loved it, I'm now even more excited to play Quidditch at Hogwarts than I already was. Ron, dad, and Arthur supported the Cannons who lost spectacularly to the Harpies. Ginny and I both vowed that once we graduated Hogwarts we would both play for the Harpies together since they are the only all female team in the British and Irish Quidditch League. Once everyone got back we finally had enough people to play 4 on 4 games. Fred and George began inviting over their new friend Lee Jordan to play with us because Percy was boring and didn't think playing Quidditch was a good use of his time. He would just sit under the large oak tree near the Quidditch clearing reading books. The one time I looked to see what he was doing he was reading a transfiguration book Fred and George claimed he was "trying to get ahead for next year" but I didn't see what was so wrong with that. I love reading books and I've been reading a few of Tonks' old school books from her first year because I find them interesting.

Speaking of the twins they've been planning these absolutely elaborate pranks along with Lee and myself to accomplish this upcoming year. I've been designated as the official lookout for all of our pranks. Fred and George know that most of the faculty knows me and so I could most likely get them out of any trouble.

I finish up getting ready to go and then I pull my mostly empty trunk down the stairs followed shortly by Tonks and her trunk. Mum, dad, Tonks, and I sit down to a breakfast of pancakes, sausages, and eggs punctuated mostly by small talk and people asking for the syrup. Once we finished breakfast I helped mum clear off the table.

"You ready to start at Hogwarts Juliet?" Mum inquires.

"Yeah, I mean I suppose that I am. I'm a bit nervous about the sorting mainly because I know that Fred and George and probably going to be in Gryffindor just like the rest of their family but I have absolutely no idea where I will end up. I don't want being sorted into another house to ruin my friendship with the two of them or Lee." I shrug letting off a sigh. I just kept thinking to myself I really just hope that I get sorted into Gryffindor with the twins.

She smiles at me "sweetheart don't worry, look at Tonks and her friends most of them aren't in the same house as her and they are thick as thieves, your father and I were in different houses as well and look where we wound up. It's all going to be alright."

I smile up at mum "thanks mum that's exactly what I needed to hear right now."

Mum, Dad, Tonks, and I all walk outside to where the Knight Bus is waiting to take us into London. Thirty minutes later I hear the Conductor yell out "Leaky Cauldron, London next stop!" and just moments afterward the bus comes to a jerking halt. We get off the bus and walk inside the pub and Tom the barman gives mum the keys to our rooms. We walk upstairs and mum hands Tonks the key to our room, which is right next door to mum and dads. We walk in our room and drop off our stuff. I send Artemis off with letters that I wrote to the twins and Hagrid while we were on the bus and Tonks lets Apollo out to go hunt. Once our owls were out the window and out of sight Tonks and I ran next door to our parent's room and knocked on their door. Dad answers and Tonks and I immediately ask, "can we go to Diagon Alley now? Please?"

Dad laughs and turns to mum. "What do you think Dromeda? Do you think we can go to Diagon Alley? They said please?"

Mum walks over to the three of us "well I suppose we could go now." and that's enough for us I start running for the stairs with Tonks right behind me… until she trips on her own shoelace and hits the ground.

"You okay?" I yell back to her and I get I a mumble from her that sounds like a yes and I take off again down the stairs as she stands back up and ties her shoe. Five minutes later we arrive at Gringotts Bank to take out money for schools supplies for Tonks and I. It's my first time inside the bank and I'm astounded at how beautiful the inside is with its white marble and crystal chandeliers. We all walk up to the goblin at the central podium and mum and dad let him know that they would like to make a withdrawal for their daughter's school supplies. The goblin, who introduces himself as Gornuk checks our key and, finding everything to be in order leads us to the cart that will take us to our vault. We all get in and the cart starts moving on its own. The cart keeps moving faster and faster and in the dark of the stone vaults I can't see where the floor is… it almost looks like it never ends. Worried that I'm going to fly of the bumpy cart I grab Tonks' hand and I squeeze it and she squeezes back and gives me a smile. We finally reach our vault and I practically launch myself out of the cart anxious to be back on solid ground. Mum and dad walk with Tonks and I into the vault and I gasp. I had no idea my family had so much money. Tonks explains what all of the coins are to me "The big gold ones are the Galleons. They are worth 17 of the smaller silver coins called Sickles and 493 of the little bronze coins called Knuts." Mum hands Tonks and I each an empty coin pouch and tells us to each take out 30 Galleons for anything we may need at school. I count out my money and close up the pouch. After Tonks and I have our money safely tucked away we get back into the cart and begin the bumpy ride back up to the surface. After we leave the bank Tonks drags dad off with her to go get the new textbooks that she needs for her sixth year leaving mum and I to do my shopping. I look down at my supply list for this year to see what I need to get.

**First Year Students will require:**

Uniform

3 sets of plain work robes (black)

1 plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

1 pair protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

1 winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

7 sets of uniform attire (white button down, black skirt or slacks)

2 school ties (please note that a first year student's tie will not have house colors on them until they are sorted)

Books

_The Standard Book of Spells_ (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander edited by Rolf and Luna Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble

Students may also feel obliged to purchase if they so desire _Hogwarts, a History_ by Bathilda Bagshot and _Quidditch Through the Ages _by Kennilworthy Whisp

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring an Owl OR a cat OR a toad

Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks

I look up at mum, "where to first?"

She briefly looks down at the list "Madame Malkins first. That's the best place to get all of the clothing you need for school."

Mum and I walk in and a very pretty woman close to mum's age behind the counter asked, "first year, Hogwarts?" I nod as she gestures for me to follow her into the back. I stand up on the platform for measuring while a tape measure flies around me taking all of my measurements. Once it's done measuring the woman has me step down from the platform to wait while the scissors start to cut the fabric for my robes, cloak, skirts, and hat. To pass the time I need to wait I look at the gloves that are on display and I pick out a pair of pretty purple dragon hide gloves. The woman calls me over and has me select which of three silver fastenings I want for my winter cloak and I pick the one that has fastenings in the shape of roses, my favorite flower. By this time all that needs to be done for the uniforms is fitting on the fastener so I get handed a uniform set to try on while that finishes. I walk out of the dressing room to try on the now finished cloak. Deciding that everything fits just fine I change back into my normal clothes and hand my robes back to the woman who folds them and sends them to my room at the Leaky Cauldron. I love not having to carry all of my bags around with me when I go shopping. Mum walks up to the counter and pays for my clothing and we leave.

Next, we head over to Flourish and Blotts where I get to pick out all of the required books as well as the two recommended books on the list. Mum knew that even though Quidditch Through the Ages and Hogwarts, a History were recommended I would want to get them since I already read dad's fifteen year old copies and the ones in the store had been updated at least another twelve times. I wander through the aisles of the bookstore astounded by all of the commotion of the books flying between shelves. I grab all of the books that I need to get and walk up to mum who is waiting by the cash register to pay. The man behind the counter rings up the books and has them sent to my room as well. After we finish up at Flourish and Blotts mum and I meet up with dad and Tonks at Florean Fortescue's for "our pre-lunch dessert" as Tonks called it. My family has this weird habit of always eating some small sweet before we sit down to have lunch. I order favorite ice cream combination two scoops of the peppermint ice cream with chocolate shell. After ice cream we head over to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch and we go back up to our rooms as we all decided during lunch to call it a day as far as shopping goes. Tonks and I excuse ourselves from the table and walk back up to our room.

When Tonks and I walk into our room I notice Artemis already waiting with a response for me from the twins. "Well that was fast. I guess the twins already had something ready to send." Artemis hoots at me looking like she is ready to go hunting so I take my letter from her and let her go out the window. I look down at the letter in my hand and notice I have two one for me and one for Tonks. "Tonks Charlie's written you a letter," I tell her as I sit down on my bed and start reading my letter. I open the one from the twins now anxious to see when they will be coming to Diagon Alley for supplies.

August 29, 1989

To our dearest friend Juliet,

Mum just told us today that we are getting our school supplies on the 31th so make sure you save getting your wand for then! Ginny and Ron have been moping around the house all week; they don't want to be the only ones stuck at home all year so mum told them that they had to stay home with dad and could meet us at the station to say goodbye. Anyway, George and I have been planning some more pranks to pull but we want to run them by you to see if you think they can actually be done. You seem to be a lot better with determining how easily we can do things than we are. See you soon!

Your most wonderful prankster twins,

Fred and George

I laugh just thinking about the zany things the two of them have come up with unchecked by my reasonable thinking. Earlier this summer the two of them decided that they would get dungbombs into the Slytherin's dormitory under their beds and rig them to set off at two in the morning. They were all set on that until I reminded them that we can't just walk into another houses dormitory and then they quickly changed the plan to putting them under their table in the Great Hall and setting them off during lunch in waves. I can't wait to see the two of them and finally get my first wand in two days. "Tonks I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up in two hours."

I roll over and start to go to sleep, as I drift off I hear Tonks say, "yeah, no problem."

I wake up to Tonks sitting on my legs at the end of my bed "get off" and I kick my legs until she gets up.

"That's the thanks I get for waking you up when you asked… rude." she laughs and walks over to her bed and goes to put on her shoes. "Did you want to see if mum and dad will go exploring with us for a little bit before dinner?"

"Yeah maybe once I have a little more feeling in my legs. Give me another minute to wake up." I sit up and throw my socks and sneakers back on. "Okay lets go" and the two of us knock on our parents door. Mum answers it looking like she just rolled out of bed as well.

"Hey mum," Tonks says, "Juliet and I were wondering if we could go walk around Diagon Alley and maybe go to Quality Quidditch supplies just to look around. I know Juliet said she wanted to look at broom servicing kits for her Cleansweep."

"Well I suppose you can go. Have fun and be back by 6:30 for dinner" Tonks nods and mum closes the door, probably to go back to sleep.

"I don't actually need a broom servicing kit just yet Tonks. I only got the broom in June." I tell Tonks as we walk down the stairs.

"I know you don't but I couldn't exactly tell her that I wanted to go to Gambol and Japes to start stocking up on Filibuster's Fireworks for this year." Tonks must have noticed the look on my face because she continued, "don't look so shocked. Fred and George aren't the only pranksters you know."

"I figured they weren't I just never pegged you for the fireworks type of pranking. I thought you would use your metamorphmagus skill to prank people." I laugh as we walk into Diagon Alley.

"I tried using my skill, as you so eloquently put it, but I can only willingly change so much and people wouldn't usually fall for them unless they were really thick." Tonks shakes her head. "Never mind that, lets go get me some fireworks and then I want to go to Sugarplum's and pick up some chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties since they are cheaper here than on the train." We get to Gambol and Japes and Tonks quickly grabs about thirty different fireworks, each one a different pattern and set of colors. She walks up to the counter and the man standing behind it strikes up a conversation with Tonks while she pays. I hear him laugh, presumably at some prank that Tonks pulled this past year and then Tonks walks over to me. As we leave Tonks yells out "until next year Jones!" once we are outside Tonks tells me about the guy behind the counter. "He used to be a phenomenal pranker while he was at school, graduated a year before I got there. Everyone at Hogwarts knew who he was so Charlie and I became determined to beat his pranking record. We surpassed him in about third year or so Charlie and I just do some minor pranks around the school nowadays. I'm sure Fred and George will have definitely outshined the two of us many times over before they leave school." I nod agreeing with Tonks, between the twins schemes and my reasoning there is no way our pranks wouldn't go down in Hogwarts history as some of the best. We walk into Sugarplum's and I'm immediately blown away by all of the candy and sugar that surrounds me. I grab one of the baskets and start putting candy into it: five chocolate frogs, five pumpkin pasties, a packet of droobles, and a box of cauldron cakes. Feeling satisfied with what I grabbed I walk up to the cashier and give her the basket to ring me up.

"Your total is one Galleon and twelve Sickles my dear." I hand the woman two Galleons and as she is giving me back my change Tonks walks up with her candy ready to purchase. Tonks pays for her candy and off we go back to our room to drop off our purchases before dinner with mum and dad. As we walk up the stairs I accidentally bump into someone and we both stop. I look up to see who it is I bumped into and I realize it's another girl who looks to be about my age with dark skin and deep brown eyes. "Sorry about that. I'm Juliet I'll be a first year at Hogwarts this year."

The girl smiles at me "I'm Angelina Johnson, I'll also be a Hogwarts first year this year."

I smile back "It was really nice to meet you Angelina but my mum and dad are expecting my sister and I back for dinner soon so I need to go. Hopefully I'll see you on the train and we can have more time to talk."

She nods "Definitely! I will see you then Juliet."

"See you then Angelina." I say as I follow Tonks up the stairs.

We get to our room just with enough time to stash our candy before mum knocks on the door reminding us that we have a dinner in 20 minutes downstairs.

That night at dinner I tell mum and dad about the girl Angelina that I met on the stairs and how excited I now am to be starting at Hogwarts. That night as I'm going to bed all of my current fears about the sorting disappear and I go to sleep happy knowing that I'll be exactly where I belong in just under three whole days.

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**August 31, 1989**

This morning I wake up before Tonks does and so I take that opportunity to wake her up by tickling her feet with one of her quills that she left out on the table. She squeals and immediately pulls her feet up as close to her body as possible.

"Okay, okay I'm up you win. What time is it?" She yawns and closes her eyes again.

I look up at the clock on the wall that says nine o'clock, but because Tonks woke me up so rudely from my nap yesterday I take the opportunity to mess with her "it looks like its about eleven o'clock right now."

That wakes her up right away "eleven o'clock! But the Weasley's were supposed to be here by 10! Why did you not wake me up when they got here?" She starts scrambling around the room to get dressed and brush her hair.

I laugh at how crazy she looks with her hair sticking up all over the place "well seeing as it's only nine they still aren't here."

Tonks looks at me "but you just said it was eleven? Didn't you?"

"Who me? No I said nine, maybe you should get your hearing checked out." I laugh and I can tell Tonks knows I'm lying.

"You little prankster. See I told you that twins and you were a match made in friendship heaven." She laughs acknowledging that I got her. "Though you do know this means war right? There is no way I'm going to let anyone, even my baby sister get one over on me."

"Whatever you say Nymphadora." I smile back sweetly as she narrows her eyes and glares at me for using her hated given name. She continues to get ready and by the time the Weasley's get to Diagon Alley we are both downstairs eating breakfast laughing as though this morning never happened.

"Juliet! Juliet! Over here!" I hear Fred and George before I see them. I turn and look over at the fireplace where they just arrived by Floo. I get up from the table and run to them a wide smile splashed across my face from ear to ear.

"Freddie!" I scream as I run right into a hug from Fred who promptly picks me up and spins me around. As soon as my feet are on the floor I get pulled back up into a hug and into the air by George "Hi Georgie" I say as he puts me down. Molly walks over to the three of us.

"Boys I need to go to Gringotts to take out money for supplies this year. You two are welcome to wait here with Juliet until I get back."

"Okay mum, see you when you get back." Fred says. Fred and George both turn to me as their mother walks away. "Juliet you won't believe the pranks we've come up with since the last time we saw you.

"Oh I can only imagine." I say as they pull me over to an empty table in the corner to tell me all about their ideas.

About ten minutes later Molly comes back with Mum right behind her and they take us over to Ollivander's to get our wands. We walk into the dusty old shop and I look around at all of the wand boxes up on the shelves. There must be at least ten thousand wands in here.

Fred jolts me out of my reverie "okay so who is going to go first?"

"I'll go first" and I walk up to the counter and ring the bell. Mr. Ollivander walks over.

"Ah the new Miss Tonks here for her first wand." He says with a smile. I nod and he continues, "are their any skills that you currently favor my dear?"

"Flying, Mr. Ollivander" and he nods, almost as if he knows something that I don't know.

"Very well" and he walks over to the shelf and pulls out a box. He hands me the wand inside "Birch wood, unicorn hair core, ten and three-quarter inches, pliable, this wand is good for charms. Go on and give it a wave." I give the wand a small flick and nothing happens. "Okay, not this wand." He walks back over to the shelves and grabs a few more boxes. "Perhaps this one, ash wood, dragon heartstring core, 9 inches, quite bendy." Once again I give the wand a small wave only this time I accidentally blow out all of the candles in the store. Ollivander relights everything and hands me the third wand "Try this one. It's ebony wood which is good for charms and transfiguration, phoenix feather core, 9 and a half inches, rigid." I grab the wand and all of a sudden I feel this warm glow fill me up from my hand down to my toes.

"Mr. Ollivander I think this is the one." I smile up at the old man and he smiles back.

"Yes Juliet I do believe you are right." Mum pays him for the wand and then Fred steps up to take his turn at receiving a wand. Ollivander looks down at Fred and grins "you have quite the mischievous glint in your eye young Mr. Weasley I know exactly which wand you need." He climbs up the ladder to grab a wand from all the way at the top of the shop. "Here we are, this wand is dogwood, unicorn hair core, 10 inches, and reasonably springy." Fred grabs the wand and I see a golden light surround him. "Yes, that's the one for you." George steps up next Ollivander looks at George and smiles "I see a kind look in your eye young man. I think an alder wand would suit you best." He walks over to the shelf behind him and grabs a box. "This one is alder wood, with a dragon heartstring core, 11 inches, and reasonably pliant." He hands George the wand that makes him also gains that golden glow of light and smiles. "Good, that one is yours my dear boy." Molly pays for the twins' wands and then we leave. The twins go with Molly to get their books but promise to come back in time for lunch. Mum and I go back to the Leaky Cauldron where I show my new wand to Tonks and dad. Fred and George come back as promised for lunch and we eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. During lunch I tell them how I pranked Tonks before they got to Diagon Alley and they both laughed at my description of her running around the room trying to get ready. After lunch we convince mum and Molly to let us go exploring Diagon Alley and the three of us go to Gambol and Japes where we buy the supplies to set of the ultimate pranks ever set off by a Hogwarts first-year. We spend the rest of the day together and at the end of the night I find myself unable to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for an hour I finally decide to go downstairs to see if Tom the barman has any ideas to help me get to sleep. I go down the stairs and realize I'm not the only one who couldn't get to sleep as Fred is sitting down at one of the tables talking to Tom. I walk over to the two of them and sit down next to Fred who is drinking a glass of warm milk.

Fred looks over at me "couldn't sleep either Juliet?"

"No I'm way too excited to sleep right now. I just want to be at Hogwarts already." I look over at Tom who is nodding as though he remembers the last night he spent before going to Hogwarts "can I have one of what he's having?"

"Of course you can Juliet. Warm milk is just the thing to help you get to sleep." He smiles at me and continues, "I remember just how excited I was the night before I went to Hogwarts. The years may change but the feelings do stay the same."

Fred turns to me "George knocked out like a light when we got into the room, not a clue in the world how he did it though. I keep thinking about the sorting ceremony. I don't know what I'll do with myself if George and I get split up. I care more about being in a house with George than being in Gryffindor though I suppose I'll get called first so honestly I don't know if it will happen."

"I understand completely Freddie. Not necessarily because I don't want to be separated from Dora but I don't want to be separated from Lee, George, and you." He smiles.

"Awww Juliet I didn't realize just how much you cared." We both laugh at his facetious comment but then he continues "On a much more serious note. I feel the same way. I just really hope the four of us wind up together."

I yawn, "well I think the warm milk worked because I'm falling asleep sitting here." I stand up "goodnight gentlemen, thanks for the milk Tom and Fred I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Goodnight Tom I'm going to head up to my room as well. I'll walk up with you Juliet." The two of us walk up the stairs to head to our respective rooms. Fred and I reach my room first and before I walk in the door I pull Fred in for a hug. After we break apart Fred continues down the hall towards his room. I walk into my room and lay down in my bed and within minutes I'm asleep.

* * *

**September 1,1989**

I wake up with the sunlight shining into my window and walk over to Tonks' bed. I grab her shoulder and give her a small shake to wake her up seeing as it is already eight o'clock and the train leaves in three hours on the dot. Tonks opens her eyes and I tell her the time and we both start to get ready. I throw on a pair of jeans and a purple long sleeve blouse and run a brush through my long dark brown wavy hair. I look up at my reflection in the mirror and not noticing anything amiss with what I see looking back at me I relinquish the mirror for Tonks to control. For the first time since I moved in the with the Tonks' I see Dora putting effort into her hair and she even puts on a little makeup. I had a feeling that Tonks had a boy she liked because of the way she would hide away in her room after she got certain owls but now I know for certain. There is no way that she would do that for just anyone. "So Dora, what is his name?" She turns around to face me.

"What ever do you mean Jules?" I smile because I can tell I've got her all flustered.

"Well" I continue, "you are wearing makeup and shoes that don't look like they are about to fall apart."

She sighs because she knows I've caught on "it's Charlie… I've been trying not to develop feelings for him because I know we are friends but every time he makes passing remarks about pretty girls he always seems to like the girls who wear makeup so I've decided to give it a try… Does it look okay?"

"Dora first of all, breathe. You're no good to anyone if you faint because you don't take in enough air. Second of all, yes you look very pretty. Though personally I don't think you need makeup because you are pretty just the way you are."

She grins at me and nods and I'm glad that I was able to get through to her. "You always know what to say Juliet. I guess it explains why you have such good friendships already."

"I suppose that could be…" I start to respond to Tonks but then dad knocks on the door

"Jules, Dora are you ready to go downstairs for breakfast?" He shouts through the heavy door.

I yell back through the door "give us another five and then we will be down." I turn back to Tonks "now where was I, oh yes, that could be true or it could just be that Fred and George wouldn't be able to have a successful pranking scheme without me" and we both laugh. I give her a hug and we walk out the door to join everyone for breakfast. I walk over to the twins and plop down in the empty seat between them.

"Good morning everyone" I declare as I reach over and grab a few pancakes, some bacon, and the bottle of maple syrup. Once I have the food on my plate I douse it all in a liberal coating of the syrup.

Fred looks at me like I've just said that I want to be a Slytherin and freaks out over my choice of bacon topping "you put syrup on your bacon" he utters as though in disbelief.

"Hey it's good. Don't knock it until you try it" and I hand him a piece of my syrup coated bacon.

He tries it and grins "you know what Juliet this actually is really good" and with that he leans over and steals some of the bacon off my plate.  
"Hey! That was mine! Go get your own bacon!" I jokingly swat at his arm and we both laugh as we both reach for more bacon.

At ten o'clock my family and the Weasley's all take a Ministry shuttle from the Leaky Cauldron to King's Cross Station so that we can board the train. We get to King's Cross and then slowly one at a time we go through the barrier to get to Platform 9 ¾. By the time we all got onto the platform it was almost a quarter till eleven and so mum and dad help Tonks and I load our trunks and owls onto the train. After everything is loaded mum and dad pull us aside to say goodbye. Mum and dad give each of us a hug and I tell them that I promise to send a letter tonight after the sorting to let them know which house I get sorted into. With that Tonks and I board the train and I look for an empty compartment to sit in with the twins and Lee. Walking down the train I see Angelina in a compartment by herself. I poke my head in and she looks up at me.

"Hey Angelina!" I smile brightly at her and she smiles back.

"Hey Juliet! Are you looking for a place to sit?" As I'm about to respond Fred, George, and Lee show up and ask me if I've found a place for us to sit.

Angelina laughs and responds for me "yes, she has, unless you mind another first year sitting in your carriage."

The boys all look at Angelina and George and Lee immediately sit down on either side of her assuring her that they had no issues at all with the seating situation. Fred and I laugh at their obvious infatuation with her and we sit on the bench opposite the three of them. A few minutes later another first year that Angelina introduced to us as Alicia joined us in our carriage just as the train left King's Cross bound for Hogsmeade Station.

As soon as we can no longer see London anymore I decide to break the silence that fell over the carriage. "So what houses do you want to get sorted into?"

Angelina responds very quickly "Gryffindor, definitely." and I notice that everyone else gives affirmative nods to this statement.

Alicia pipes up "my mum was in Gryffindor when she went to Hogwarts and she's always kind of pushed the idea of being in Gryffindor onto me. I honestly don't know what I would do if I was sorted anywhere else."

George looks at Alicia with an empathetic look "Totally understand that one, our mum and dad as well as all three of our older brothers got sorted into Gryffindor so I don't think Fred and I would get very far being placed in another house."

At that I decide it's time to enter the conversation "My mum was in Slytherin, my dad was in Ravenclaw, and my sister is a Hufflepuff. I just hope that I manage Gryffindor in order to have a complete group under my roof."

Everyone laughs at the comment but it gets me thinking about who my actual parents were and whether or not they went to Hogwarts or if they were even magical. The six of us spend the next few hours on the train talking, playing exploding snap, and eating the snacks that we got from the trolley. Percy eventually comes by our carriage and informs us in the most pompous voice I've ever heard that we are almost to Hogwarts and that we must put on our robes. Finally after what seemed like hours after Percy came by we arrive at Hogsmeade station and the six of us disembark the train.

I see Hagrid at the end of the platform holding a lantern and beckoning us over "Firs' years! Firs' years! All Firs' years to me!" I run over to Hagrid to give him a hug and manage to wrap my arms around about a quarter of his huge body. He looks down and smiles at me before wrapping an arm around me "Juliet! I was going to respond to your owl but I thought it best we just discuss everything that's been happening with you over a cuppa tea after yer firs' week."

I pull away from the hug and smile at Hagrid "I would love to come over for tea. I'm sure I'll have so much to tell you."

Once all of the first years finally gather around Hagrid he leads us over to the lake where there are at least 25 small boats waiting. "Four to a boat" I hear Hagrid say and my friends and I decide to split three and three. George and Lee follow Angelina to a boat and Alicia comes with Fred and I. We are joined by another first year named Annabella Scotts who tells us that she wants to be in Ravenclaw just like her parents. After everyone gets settled into a boat Hagrid waves his arm and the boats all start to move across the lake. After about ten minutes we get to a curtain of ivy hanging down from a stone bridge that cuts across the skinniest part of the lake. I reach up and push aside the ivy and the four of us all gasp. Hogwarts looks beautiful in the night sky because you can see all of the castle illuminated by the torches and windows.

We reach the other side of the lake and file into the main hall where Professor McGonagall meets us. She begins to speak "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the houses with the most points is awarded the house cup. Now follow me." Professor McGonagall leads us to the door right outside the Great Hall. "Once we walk through these doors we will be in the Great Hall. From there I will call your names alphabetically and you will step forward to be sorted." With that said she opens the doors to the Great Hall where all of the other students are already sitting down. Once all of the first years are inside Professor McGonagall begins calling names. I zone out and begin to look around the room at all of the decoration. Angelina brushing past me to go get sorted knocks me back into the present and I watch her sit down on the stool and promptly get sorted into Gryffindor. Lee is the next one called and he also gets sent right over to the Gryffindor table. I look over at the staff table and lock eyes with Professor Dumbledore who gives me a wink and before I know it Annabella gets her name called. I see her smile brightly as the Sorting Hat places her into Ravenclaw. Then it is Alicia's turn. She puts the hat on and after a minute or so of deliberation places her into Gryffindor as well. Between Alicia and I there are three people called all of which get placed into Hufflepuff. Then I hear Professor McGonagall call out "Tonks, Juliet." I hear murmuring around the room, most of which I'm sure is due to the fact that not many people knew that Dora was no longer an only child. I put the hat on my head and I hear it talking in my head "Ah, yes, you are quite the special case Ms. Bellows."

"Bellows?" I think hoping the hat understands "so that is my last name?"

"Yes indeed it is" the Sorting Hat responds "hmmm lets see here. You are very bright and also very kind Ravenclaw would be lucky to have you."

I think back to my friends on the train and how much I want to be with them and the Sorting Hat begins again.

"Very loyal to your new friends indeed and very brave. You may not realize this my dear but what you did to come here took a lot bravery. I know just where to put you." I hear the hat yell out to the Great Hall. "Gryffindor!" I take the hat off and leave it on the stool and run over to where my new friends and now housemates are waiting for me. I get huge hugs from both of the girls and Lee and we sit and wait for the twins to be called. Soon enough McGonagall reads off Fred's name and before the hat is even completely on his head it yells out Gryffindor. All of us begin to cheer and our celebration just continues when George rounds out our group with a final Gryffindor. The opening year feast begins with a few nonsense words from Dumbledore and before long we are all stuffed and heading up to the Gryffindor common room for the first time. We follow Charlie and the other Gryffindor prefects up to the common room and the give us the first password, magna aurem. The six of us walk inside and all run for the couches by the fire so that we could continue to talk.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**I know Tonks seems a little OOC but there also isn't much source material to go off of in the books. Tonks pined for Remus for a long time and it caused her to change her appearance so I could hypothetically see a teenage Tonks acting like this over a long-term crush that doesn't seem to notice her. Fred, George, and Tonks will be a lot more fleshed out in this story as compared to the books. I know it is a weird place to end a chapter but I was sitting at 11 and a half pages typed single-spaced and over 7,400 words not including my author's notes. Please, please, please review even if it is full of constructive criticism at this point I don't care I would just like another review.**


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